


Between the Cauldrons

by aztheheadass



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Child Neglect, Epic Friendship, Eventual Relationships, Everyone Needs A Hug, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Hurt/Comfort, Hyunjin Needs a Hug, I Don't Even Know, I'm sorry Hyunjin, Jisung crushes on Hyunjin, Sad Hwang Hyunjin, Slow Burn, Slytherin Pride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2020-10-19 12:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20657270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aztheheadass/pseuds/aztheheadass
Summary: Hyunjin just wanted to live his sad life and eventually die like everyone else. He never had that loving family or ambition or anything it takes for kids to feel alive in this day and age so leave it to life to rear its ugly head in the form of a letter. He’s tipped off balance when a stranger arrives on the front porch of his orphanage and Hyunjin has to decide if he wants his life to change forever. Sharing a room with 22 kids wasn’t easy but wasn’t nearly as hard as surviving a magical boarding school.(first fic kinda nervous)





	1. Chapter 1: Home Sweet- WAIT WHAT'S THAT?

Hyunjin didn't necessarily WANT to be invisible like he was at home but things don't ever seem to go to plan for him. He took this new development to his life with stride, excited to start this new chapter and finally do something with his life. Arriving at Platform 9 ¾ was just the start of his long adventure. Of course it starts when Hyunjin’s mom fucked off on him and dropped him off in front of the Wings of Refuge Home for Children.

“Ms. Jones? Why don't I have a family like in Home Alone?” Hyunjin innocently asks, hugging his knees to his chest as he watched the house lady shuffle through the storage boxes she has in the basement. 

“Some kids like you and the rest of the building, are a special case kid. You guys don't have anyone yet but you will. That's why you're here,” she explains while lifting a heavy box to the top of a too tall pile of bins. 

“But I had a mommy right? They say everyone has a mommy that's how they're born.” He looks up at her, eyes twinkling with excitement at the prospect of having a parental figure.

Aria Jones was a quaint woman at the age of 35. She had long since passed the time of marriage according to her family and she had nothing else going for her. Giving children a roof over their head while she received a check every month seemed like a perfect job for her. The older kids took care of the younger while she got to do whatever she wanted and it was glorious. She didn't quite sign up for kids like this though, with questions she didn't care to sugarcoat or answer. Yet this kid stared at her waiting for an answer to all his problems. She was overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility which she wanted to squash immediately.

“Ah let me see,” she says as she turns away to start rummaging through one of the bins. He turned toward her, slight smile turning into a curious frown as he waited with bated breath what was to come. “You're the asian one, Hyunjin Hwang. Hwang, Hwang, OH there we are,” she exclaims as she pulls out a file folder from one of the bins. Out came a slip of paper. Looking to be from a small A7 Notebook. “You can't read yet right?” she asks as her fingers gloss across the yellowing pages. “I’ll read it to you.”

“Dear Head Leader of Wings of Refuge Home for Children,

I am the child's mother. I came barring him as I realized I am not quite ready to take care of a child. I named him before I brought him here. In honor of his father he'll never know. Hyunjin, with the meaning of gentle truth. He will always be loved by me the parent he never got to know either. Perhaps if it were a different lifetime I could've been the mother he deserved. Unfortunately I am not strong enough to deal with the consequences of my actions. I hope you can take care of my child and can find the right family for him. Hwang Hyunjin will prevail because he's my boy.

-A Mom”

He never asked about his mother again after she slipped the letter into his small hands and told him to go run and play. He stumbled up the stairs, tears running down his cheeks as he stared at the scribbles on the page he couldn't yet read on his own. Step after step feeling heavy as the droplets finally made it to the scrap of paper blurring the signature at the end. A Mom. How laughable. Mom’s are supposed to tuck you in and read you bedtime stories. Help you decorate the Christmas tree as you both wait for the hot chocolate on the table to cool. Mothers are supposed to be there for you when you're having a sad day, rubbing your back and buying you ice cream when you finish ranting. Well this was interesting. I guess everyone doesn't have a mother.

He was so close to finally being that Hallmark movie stereotype when he was at the tender age of 6. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell were the definition of that picture perfect white couple who gave half the money in their savings to charity just to help out the community. Mrs. Mitchell had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which prevented her from having children so in comes the adoptee. The test run to see if adoption was their best option moving forward to having the perfect family unit. She was mesmerising. Someone he could always come to if he had a problem and always kissed his booboos when he climbed the big tree in the backyard for the 12th time after they told him not to. She was like Superwoman, until she wasn't. 

They always wondered why they’d find patches of her hair on the keyboard of their Microsoft Computer. Why she seemed a lot more sluggish than usual, opting to have him walk next to her instead of putting him on her hip as she took him to the park. She found out she had cancer 5 months into his stay in the Mitchell home. She never really did regular check ups since there wasn't any history of medical disorders in her family. She was far along, way too far for treatment to work and the money they received from her job, their stable income, was no longer coming in. The lawyer was off her feet and his check wasn't cutting the deal anymore to help pay for her medical bills. Someone had to get cut and Mr. Mitchell was not in enough of the right mental state to take care of himself much less another human being.

“Anything is possible. Anything can be. As long as you believe,” she said. What a load of bullshit. Where was the happy ending he always believe could be granted for him then? That was the last thing he remembered her saying to him on her hospital bed before his Social Worker brought him back to hell. Learning how to adjust back to WOR was hard for him. An overwhelmed 6 year old who was wondering what he did wrong to get sent back from his perfect home. The kids made it less than bearable but he always had his friend Sam there to guide him to the light.

Everyone knows once you reach ten it’s extremely hard to be placed with a family. After his really close encounter with his own personal heaven they never failed to bring him back. He didn't last in one home, his longest stay opting for 3 months at a time. His life became less of “When am I gonna find my pair of forever parents?” to “Can I at least have a friend in this place that will stay with me?” His friend Sam left just nearing Hyunjin’s 9th birthday. 

“Hey Hyunjin,” Sam slides up next to him at the rundown swing set in the backyard of the orphanage. “Hey Sam do you wanna play with me for a little bit? Ms. Jones car hasn't shown up yet so we can still be out here.” Hyunjin says as he swings higher on the creaking metal. The two kids sit in silence staring at the sky lost in thought however, neither really in the mood to play today.

“Hyunjin, why are we best friends?” 

Hyunjin slows to a stop, placing his hands on his friends back. The other hasn't looked at him since he walked over here and he's starting to get worried. Trying to catch Sam’s gaze he answers,”You shared your crayons with me at 4 when I was sad about coming back to WOR and since then you've always had my back. Is something wrong?” The mood turns down another degree and Hyunjin just doesn't understand because he still won't even LOOK at him and he's starting to freak out now what is i-

“I was adopted today,” and there's Sam’s eyes. Filled to the brim with so many conflicting emotions; happiness, sadness, grief, and relief as the tears Hyunjin didn't notice started cascading down his caramel colored skin. 

And they sat there. Watching the sun set over the horizon as they mourned the loss of a friendship that has helped keep them sane for years. He knew he missed a lot alright. Being gone for a month and a half is a lot of time but enough for an adoption to be finalized? No one ever came back to WOR when they were adopted. It was why every kid wished to finally get picked up so they would have some sense of stability in their lives. Hyunjin always held a small hope that he and Sam would be adopted together and officially be brothers. Live out the rest of their days old, yelling about who won their last game of handball. Hope officially died for him there under the rusting of their favorite spot.

“Do you like them?” 

“Yeah...I think I do.” And silence washed over the two again. It would be silent for him for a long time.

The next day wasn't quiet. Everyone respected the adoption time, new kids coming old faces leaving but this was no different than any other time and everyone moved on. The young kids who cause more trouble than they're worth move on. Ms.Jones, the house lady who didn't care what the kids did as long as she got a check for the “little brats” moved on as she always did. But Hyunjin didn't. The bullying started soon after. 

He was always teased as a kid for being a little more weird than the kids were used too but it was never as bad as it became when he didn't have Sam to protect him from all the bullies he didn't know he had. 

It started off small. A shove here, a trip there. Then it moved on to full scale acts. Hyunjin was the weird loner kid, he didn't have anyone to back him up and the others knew that. Not only was he subjected to bullying from the older kids but the youngest caught on and joined as well. 

“Look at little Hyunjin sitting under the swing crying. You want your pacifier Hyunjin?” Lewis yelled to him throwing one of the used binkies from the supply closet at his face. “Go cry home to mama oh wait you don't have one.” Boisterous laughter filled the backyard as his lackeys and the kids playing tag nearby started laughing at him as well.

“Lewis you don't have parents either,” Hyunjin explained calmly as he stared at the rings on his stubby little fingers. His attention quickly moved away from his hands as he was lifted by the collar of his Old Navy hand me down.

“What gives you the right to say that to me punk,” he shoved him into the tree a few centimeters away. Everyone surrounds the area making a circle around him as if watching a circus act happen at their very eyes. “Unlike me you'll never be adopted. No one likes you and it's no wonder Sam left when he did. He was too cool for you anyway.” All the kids started to pitch in with the insults as Hyunjin hunched a little more into his body. Curling around his knees he sat there waiting for them to leave so he can resume his earlier activity. 

The first kick caught him off guard.

The next two still gave him quite a bit of a shock but as the varying size of feet started to sink into his abdomen Hyunjin understood what was happening. He just took what he could so he could start crying when they left.

Of course he was right, Lewis was 12! The older kids always know more than the younger. That's what Ms. Jones always told him when he came to her after the older kids yelled at him. As the footsteps of giggling children started to fade away Hyunjin laid out on the grass clutching his stomach. Staring at the grass underneath him in silence he was shocked when the tears this time just wouldn't come.

Hyunjin, one of the oldest kids, became everyone's human punching bag. Physical and Mental. All this abuse and neglect took a turn for the worst for this 8 year olds mental health. He took everyday one step at a time but it was hard to hold on. He was in and out of foster homes, possible adoptions that fell through because he would “act out” or be “too much to handle”. No one wanted a mentally ill child to take care of on top of their other kids. So that became his life.

Getting the letter, the cursed letter that changed his life forever was a moment he'll never forget.

He had just finished cleaning the kitchen counter when he heard it. The rumbling at the door. Scared because most of the kids were upstairs at the time, Hyunjin moved to the kitchen door frame staring at the mailbox slot like it had just talked to him. Slowly moving toward the couch as it lifted and made more noise, he inspected the door wary now. Then it happened. A letter came through the mailbox slot of the front door and slid onto the dusty hardwood floors. 

Hyunjin reached over and grasped the letter into his hands, “I wonder why this mail came so late it isn't 3.” He muttered to himself as he stood up, bones from his growing legs cracking under him. Turning it over he received the shock of his life when he realized, 

“It’s...a-addressed to me?”

Scurrying to unfasten the neatly secured letter Hyunjin’s fingers shook in anticipation.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Hyunjin Hwang,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress”

Is this some kind of joke? If so, why would anyone go this far? He flipped to the next page.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

UNIFORM First-year students will require: 1.Three sets of plain work robes (black) 2.One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear 3.One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) 4.One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK"

BROOMSTICK?!? His eyes shot wide open as he started at the text on the page. Was it Brian who did this? No he isn't that smart. He muttered on and on as his fingers flicked across the page. 

“Yeah no I’m not doing this. It's obviously a joke. Magic doesn't exist.” And he tossed the letter into the fire while stomping up all 13 steps to his way too small for 22 people room. Laying under the covers he dreams of a world where it's true, where kids have magic and go to school to make friends and just be themselves. That there was a world outside of WOR. He dreams and dreams until his brain runs out of creative material to shuffle through and he lays to a blank canvas filtering through his mind, satisfied with what he was shown. Then an old woman in a witches hat shows up the next week and turns his world upside down.

Now he's standing here. At Platform 9 ¾ surrounded by so many eccentric looking people, luggage at his side, letter in one hand and wand in the other awaiting this new journey. Walking into one of the compartments toward the end of the train, he places his luggage in the storage area and takes a seat by the window. He looks out to the sea of parents hugging their children, some with tears leaking out their eyes as he wonders what this new life could bring him. What Hogwarts could bring him. Closing his eyes he sank back into the chair, waiting patiently for the train to take off into the unknown. He never really did like the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm Az and this is my first fic. I kinda suck at writing but I love making up cool ideas for stories anyway so I decided to finally write one. This will be long, fair warning, but I'm not gonna go too slow. This is mostly focused on Hyunjin's 1st year at Hogwarts and his 6th year. The rest of the years will be glossed over so don't worry. Also, SLOOOOOOW Burn like hella slow like why did I write this slow. I have so much in mind for this fic and places I wanna take this so enjoy growing with me. :))


	2. First Day Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this is not proofread or beta read. I had this written for a while but I never posted it because I didn't feel 100% in what was written. I still don't, but I never really will. Here we go.

The scene was beautiful, like something out of a Hayao Miyazaki film. Train looking to be gliding across the sea, clear skies with birds swooping down low enough to pass the compartment windows. No one came to this room, too far from the main doors so Hyunjin had plenty of time to be in his own head. ‘Is this the right choice? What if it's like WOR? Maybe even worse. Maybe I should just get off now.’ He started to panic, shoving his untouched sketchbooks back into his luggage, he stumbled to the sliding doors only for the train to stop abruptly. He didn't know when they arrived, too engrossed in his bird watching to hear the announcement from the student yelling through the halls. It’s too late to turn back now.

He kept a straight face as he joined his fellow students in front of this giant. ‘Is this a man? What is he?’

Too distracted by the man's size he didn’t notice the group start moving until he was slightly shoved from behind by this tall, pale-looking boy with red hair. 

“Don’t worry about him,” he snapped his head to the left hearing someone speak on that side. He turned to an eyeful of crooked smile and bubbliness. The boy’s hair was tousled to the side, eyes looked to be filled with sparkles and one of the smallest waists Hyunjin has ever seen on anyone. His knobby knees and tiny feet didn’t escape his notice either. He just looked so adorable. He must’ve stared for too long because the boy started to lose his smile. 

“It’s okay,” his voice croaked from not using it in a while and he quickly cleared it smiling sheepishly at the now grinning boy next to him. “I’m-”

“NEXT GROUP OF FIRST YEARS ON THE BOAT PLEASE.” Before Hyunjin could tell the boy his name he was whisked forward by the man-giant onto a moving boat with other people his age. Since he didn’t know them, Hyunjin sat in silence in one of the most boring but also fun experiences ever. The boat moved on its own and this was one of the first times he’s seen a form of magic happening in front of him. He turned his attention to the sea creatures underneath the boat instead of what the sitting anxious first years were doing, sweating at the sight of the dark looming castle. 

Besides almost face planting to the floor, the day seemed like it was going pretty decently. He was still intact, no one came up to him to talk besides that one boy, and he was getting used to seeing this magically stuff.

“And here is the Great Hall,” Yeah maybe not. How big is this freaking castle anyway? He could hardly believe the amount of space given for a cafeteria. And now he was going to shit himself cause wow wasn’t that a lot of eyes staring at him. Okay, maybe not at him but it felt like it.

“We will now start the sorting,” McGonagall exclaimed hands wrapped around her middle, hat tilted up high. “Ash, Briar.” A girl with fiery red locks skipped up to the stool. Not an inch of hesitance insight. Hyunjin didn’t even know what it meant but when the hat screamed “GRYFFINDOR,” Hyunjin just knew she belonged there. The table erupted into a fit of roars and howls, banging and cheers and Hyunjin wanted that. He couldn’t wait to feel as if he belonged somewhere. Thus began the longest 30 minutes of his life as what it seemed hundreds of names were called while he waited to be placed in his forever group. It feels a lot like the foster system in its entirety. 

“Gains, Janice” McGonagall called out, voice filling the Great Hall. Murmurs broke out as the other houses turned to stare. Hyunjin watched as the hat was placed on her head nervously gulping as he played with his rings. It was getting close to H and he was starting to sweat. Maybe he doesn’t want this, maybe this isn’t what he nee-

“Here you can take my hand,” the boy from the train said, grasping ahold of Hyunjin’s boney fingers. Usually, Hyunjin would move completely away but for some reason, he didn’t want to. The mystery boy’s sweaty nimble fingers gave him some sort of comfort he hasn’t felt in a while. Excuse him if he wanted to experience this feeling a little longer. 

“It’s not as bad as it seems. Whatever house you’re in doesn’t define you or anything.” None of those issues were what Hyunjin was dwelling on but he found comfort in the boy's words. Even though the boy's voice held much conviction, he could feel his warm hand shaking in his own. 

“Han, Jisung” and suddenly his hand felt cold. Jisung! That was the boy's name and oh no, he's gone. Who’s gonna calm him now? He watched on as anxious as Jisung waiting to see what house this friendly boy would end up. All was quiet in the first-year section but Hyunjin could detect some whispering on the sides. ‘Maybe people knew his family?’

“Slytherin,” the hat screeched. He heard some gasps in the crowd but before he could decipher what that could mean IT happened. 

“Hwang, Hyunjin.” And all eyes were suddenly on him as he glanced up at the hat. He shakingly moved to walk up the stairs, struggling to walk for the first time since he was 1. Whispers filled the hall as he almost slipped on the steps in front of him. ‘How stupid can you be?’ McGonagall sent him a soft smile from over the podium as the dwarf-like teacher gestured toward the stool. Shivering at the coolness of the stool he sank back, hat placed on his small 11-year-old head. 

"Difficult. Very difficult. So much pain. Not a bad mind either. A hidden genius. There's talent, in your bones, I can see it. You sell yourself short, interesting…..Where should I put you?"

Hyunjin gripped the edge of the stool, hands turning white at the prospect of decision making. ‘Just put me somewhere, I don’t know. As long as I can get up and sit at the table already.’

“You’re very short aren’t you?” the hat whispered. “Well if you don’t want a say…..SLYTHERIN”

He jumped as the words filled his head and the Great Hall alike. Shook from the loud noise, he barely registered the hat being lifted from his head and being ushered down the stairs. Only when he caught McGonagall’s eye for the second time did he snap out of his reverie and walk calmly to the green table he saw Jisung walk to earlier. He was here, he made it. No one brought him back to WOR, no one told him he was weird and kicked him in his already bruised stomach. He felt whole for the first time in a long time.

He sat down next to train bo- Jisung his name was Jisung, he’ll remember that. He didn’t look like he did before, a little melancholy and he covered it up with a fake smile as soon as Hyunjin sat down. “I’m Jisung, I just remembered I never told you my name earlier. I’m guessing you’re Hyunjin since you went up when they called you. Are you excited about this, Slytherin.” He faltered off at the end of his ramble before he shook his head and picked back up. “I wanna make a difference in this house, show people that Slytherin isn't what people believe they are. What about you?” Jisung’s eyes sparked, looking Hyunjin in his rather dull ones in comparison. How can someone be so happy?

“I don’t know anything about any of this,” he answered truthfully. “I think McGonagall called me a muggle, or wait no muggle-born,” he quickly corrected himself. Looking down at Jisung he felt like he shouldn’t have spoken up at all. He looked at him like he just told him the sky was green and if he wasn’t uncomfortable at the stool in the middle of the big hall he definitely was now. 

“Sorry,” Jisung shook his head reassuring him all the same. “It’s just I think you’re the first muggleborn Slytherin to exist. I heard of Half-Blood Slytherins but never Muggleborn. For reference, I don’t think you should tell everybody that. I know its a progressive society but some families are still anal about that kind of thing.”

Hyunjin had no idea what half of those words meant but the conviction in Jisung’s eyes was all he needed to take his word for it. If someone could look that worried for someone he barely knew then he better listen to them.

“First Years over here,” A girl with black hair gestures to the table. Her contacts matching the green in her robe, piercing into all the other first year's souls as she urged them to get up.

“I'm Jennie. I’m a prefect and I’m gonna be taking you to our common room.” We struggled to catch up to her long strides, tripping over the robes we aren't used to wearing and slipping down the stairs. She didn't slow down for them and they were too afraid to ask her to anyway so they trudged on. Into the dungeons and away from civilization. She uttered a word to the gargoyle looking statue we all stopped in front of and out opened the doors. 

“This is the Slytherin common room. Guys dorms are on the left and Girls are on the right. Boys don't try and go up the girls dorms. You'll be in for an interesting surprise.” A couple of the snickering boys on his left smirked at the side of the room not taking anything she said seriously. He could tell by Jennie’s eyes that they were in for a rude awakening. 

“Anyway go up the stairs. Your names should be printed on the doors of the dorm room. Those will be your roommates for the remainder of your time here at Hogwarts so get comfortable.” And with those words of wisdom, she was gone like a light. Leaving all the first years to stand in the Common Room hallway like they were stupid. Slowly students started to rise from their stupor and climb up the one flight toward the rooms. He stared into space as he thought about the people he has to live with for the rest of his 7 years here. Will they like him? Will they think he’s annoying and weird like the kids in WOR? What if they don't like him and he gets put in another room or worse kicked out. He jumped when he heard the clearing of one's throat. Oh right, up the stairs. He glanced around to see that he was the last one in the Common Room so he gathered his things once again and started up the stairs. 

The door he encountered after a 2-minute walk through the halls caught his attention when he saw his name on it. “Hyunjin Hwang, Sunwoo Kim, Buford Chalks and Bomin Choi.” Okay, let’s do this. He opened the door and thus started a new journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, October as been such a terrible month. I'm definitely going to finish this story bc I feel like I owe it to stays and Woojin to try and cheer people up. I'm not taking him out of the story (granted he wasn't really in here anyway but all the same), he's staying in here forever. He and Changbin were my biases in skz so I'm still a little torn up but I can't wait to support his solo when it comes. YALL BETTER SUPPORT HIM PERIOD.


	3. The Beginning and End of a Friendship

Hogwarts wasn’t what Hyunjin expected at all. Of course he didn’t think that he would be super popular and the talk of his year. He thought, however, that he would be a lot closer to the people he lives with seeing as there’s only 3 of them. He saw Bomin the most out of his roommates. Most first years in the same house had the same schedule but they had so many this year that they squeezed in a couple of more extra classes. Thus he didn’t see Sunwoo and Buford but him and Bomin shared the exact same schedule. He just didn’t feel as though he would be particularly close to him. They were on different wavelengths and Bomin had friends he’s known since kindergarten that he hangs out with. They did do the occasional head nod to each other when they saw one another in the halls but that was about it. He was surprised to see so many Korean descendants at Hogwarts. 

“Okay what is this and where can I get more of it?” Hyunjin is sitting under the big willow tree, legs tucked under his body wide grinning at his friend by the water. 

“It's called a peanut butter and jelly sandwich Jisung,” Hyunjin answers quite smugly. He wanted to share a bit of his life with his new friend. 

He never thought that he would get a new friend to share all his experiences with. Truthfully, Hyunjin was alone for a couple of days because he hardly saw Jisung. They had two classes together and Hyunjin makes it his goal to make himself small in the back of the class. He’s pretty sure Jisung just kind of forgot he existed. Most of the eating periods, Hyunjin spent in his dorm room since he wasn’t used to eating so much food. The one time he decided to eat dinner, he sat next to Jisung and that went over just about as well as anyone would expect. 

“HYUNJIN WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS!” Jisungs voice catches the attention of the entire Slytherin table as Hyunjin tries desperately to shut him up. 

“I’ve been around,” he explains cryptically. “We actually share Defense Against The Dark Arts and Transfiguration together.” The other Slytherins turned back to their plates, losing focus when the conversation turned to academics. Honestly they can be so nosy. 

“THEN WHY HAVEN’T I SEEN YOU!” The people who lost interest in the conversation after they stopped yelling quickly snapped back to the duo. “Please stop yelling in my ear.” Hyunjin was pretty sure his ear drum was gonna burst and he would sent Jisung the medical bills in a hurry. He obviously couldn’t afford them. 

“We aren’t getting seperated ever again you’re sticking with me forever got it?” And they proceeded to spend the rest of the day together. The only time they departed was when they had to go to their rooms. It continued this way for the next 6 months.

“That name sucks I hear by rename is heaven.” Jisungs voice made Hyunjin snap back to reality. They both took in the grins from each others faces and laughed the afternoon away. Hyunjin missed this, being around someone who actually wants him around. 

Naturally it doesn't last. 

It starts off small. Walks to his classes end up being a little less loud as he finds himself walking alone across the building. Jisung’s starting to explore other people in the class he doesn't share with Hyunjin. Minho Lee is his name and he's a Slytherin like them. They met through a first year Ravenclaw who Hyunjin doesn't care to remember the name of. They get closer than is comfortable for Hyunjin because it isn't just in between classes now. It's at lunch because Jisung sees Hyunjin all day why can't he hang with Minho for a little bit? Then it moves to their bonding time in the common room and walks they used to take around the castle. Hyunjin finds himself alone now more often than not and it's starting to scare him.

This was their thing though. This was exclusively theirs. The last Qudditch game of the year is one Hyunjin would never forget. 

“Hyunjin listen it's just for this game. We spent the whole year going to games together.” Jisung looks absolutely done with Hyunjin. And yeah maybe he is acting a bit unreasonable but he missed his best friend okay, his only friend. 

“We barely spend time together anymore,” he failed to conceal some of his anger from his voice. “ Is it really that bad for me to want to see my friend for more than twice a week?” He’s standing up for himself finally. Which is more than what he can say about any other time at the orphanage. 

“I told you, you can sit with us. I’m not casting you out or anything.” Their raised voices started to cause tration as the student walked past them to the Quidditch pitch. They had a little circle now, surrounding them, slowly growing bigger in size. It urged Hyunjin to do it, and this ruined them.

“I DON'T WANT TO SIT WITH HIM!” The students around them flinched at his volume. They never saw him talk to anyone other than Jisung and even then he was still relatively quiet. 

“I don't understand why you have to be so weird about this. Maybe Alex was right, maybe you are too weird to be around.” And with that Jisung walked away. The crowd all turned toward a blank faced Hyunjin and slowly started to ascend into laughter. He tripped over a trash can, seeing but not seeing as he trudged back toward the dungeons. It was a petty Eleven year old argument, Hyunjin tired to convince himself. It'll resolve in the morning and I’ll be back to making sandwiches and making memories with Jisung.

Except it wasn't. Jisung caught a glimpse of him at the Slytherin table, he knows he did, but said boy just turned back to his breakfast. Hyunjin slid into the bench at the furthest end of the table. Away from Jisung and Minho. Away from the only friend he knows at this school. 

The teasing starts one day at lunch, with Jisung nowhere in sight. Same as pretty much the orphanage started. Little shoves that he could handle of course but then a comment he heard caught him off guard. 

‘Mudblood,” a 3rd year Slytherin spat after he shoved Hyunjin to the ground. “What was the Sorting Hat thinking when he-” is all Hyunjin heard before he saw red. He only told one person his blood status. The same person who warned him about telling anyone else. Who else knows that would speak about it. Why would they wait this long in the year to start tormenting him. Hyunjin didn’t know but he knew he had to talk to the person he hoped didn’t start this. During dinner he marched to the Slytherin table for the first time in a while, eyes ablazed and focused, staring at one boy in particular. “Jisung get up,” he commanded as calmly as he could, body language betraying the vibe he was turning to convey with his voice. Jisung’s arm felt just as scrawny as it did 2 months ago when they played hide and seek around the castle for the last time. Minho quickly stood when he saw the distress on Jisung’s face as his arm was being ripped upward.

“Let him go you freak,” he exclaimed, trying to disrupt Hyunjin’s grip, Hyunjin loosened his grip when he saw a pained look over take Jisung’s face. 

“You stay out of this,” he ventemently spits at Minho throwing him off balance. “It’s okay Minho,” Jisung turns to him and that just pisses him off even more, why, after all this is he still looking at Minho. “You know what just forget it,” Hyunjin says throwing Jisung’s arm away from him as he stalks toward the exit. Of course he told his friends, Jisung never really had a filter. The confirmation will just make him want to sock him in the face and that’s just asking for more trouble. He’s just gonna finish out the rest of this year and get his work done. 

The rest of the year drags on, until Hyunjin has a hand full of luggage and no one at the platform greeting him as he walks off. Back to his horrible life for 2 months and then maybe a good year at school. One of those statements comes true and we all know which one it is. When Hyunjin boards the Hogwarts Express for his Second year, hair sticking up from a person who “accidentally” pushed into him at the platform and made him fall, he thinks the year with turn out the same as the last month he had to endure. And it does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This so late I'm sorry but I was kinda leaving the stay fandom ngl. I love Stray Kids but nothing has been the same for me since October. I am also in college so it was a little hard to find time to write and work and do schooling at the same time. I am on break, however, so I will be writing a lot more. I already have a couple of chapters written that I plan on posting during the break. Please stay with me.


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